Florida rejected 42 of the 132 math textbooks proposed for use in public school classrooms because they “include forbidden topics or unsolicited strategies,” including socio-emotional learning and critical racial theory, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The state, which announced its decision on Friday afternoon, did not share information on the specific content it objected to, and several publishers told The New York Times that they had not yet received documents describing the state’s criticism.
But Florida has a new law that goes into effect in July, restricting the way sexual orientation, gender identity and socio-emotional skills are taught. Gov. Ron DeSantis is also expected to sign legislation known as the Stop WOKE Act, which bans instructions that could make students uncomfortable with a historical event because of their race, gender or national origin.
At a press conference on Monday, Mr DeSantis emphasized the availability of “social and emotional learning” material in rejected primary school textbooks. “The math is about getting the right answer,” he said. “And we want children to learn to think in order to get the right answer. It’s not about how you feel about the problem. “
A review of sample content from a publisher whose main textbooks seem to have been rejected, Big Ideas Learning, showed lessons designed to build self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, and social awareness and relationship skills.
This five-skill framework is popular in schools across the country and was developed by CASEL, a non-profit educational organization.
In one text, the cartoon animals help build each other’s confidence to cross a swinging bridge. In another film, a cartoon star says she feels lonely, and other animals offer to make friends.
An additional 12 books were rejected by the Florida Department of Education because they did not meet the state’s new academic standards in other ways. Florida is one of a handful of states that seek to avoid core material, a national effort to standardize the expectations of the math and literacy curriculum.
Nationwide, less than half of the states accept textbooks at the state level. Among those that do, Florida, California and Texas are the largest markets. It is typical for publishers to adapt their material specifically for these countries, sometimes editing texts in response to criticism from reviewers.
In recent years, for example, California textbooks have delved into the history of gay, lesbian, and transgender Americans, a material not typically included in textbooks in more conservative states. Texas books tend to emphasize the benefits of the free market and entrepreneurship.
Historically, textbooks in Texas and Florida are often similar.
New Florida curriculum laws and regulations restricting the way race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioemotional well-being are taught may require publishers to rewrite books, from the historical stories they tell, to the examples used in mathematical text problems.
Patricia Macei and Stephanie Sol contributed to the report.
Add Comment